Two red foxes playing on Christmas morning 2013

we have better video of these two foxes playing in the yard over Christmas,but seems to be too much to upload, one is on my facebook page.  They seemed healthy, some concern they were out late in the morning like this.  Confirms the footprints seen in previous post.
Not sure if they are 2 males ,male/female,mother/offspring?  This the start of mating season.

Gopher Turtle at the Rolandvue Annex, Marco Island ,Florida

You can get images of this fellow online, but not with the photographer lying on ant hills in his bike clothes.  They have complex and deep burrows, common here in the"hills" of Marco. The elevation gives them some protection from flooding during hurricane season.  Like our gophers the burrows have second openings, the burrows are shared with other animals.

They are territorial, the males will fight each other.  They try to get leverage underneath each other's shell.  The fight ends when one is turned on his back.  They may be able to right themselves but after waiting a few minutes I usually help the loser out: a moral dilemma. Should nature be allowed to take its course?  He should learn to balance his aggression with some eusociality. Turtles could rule the world.

The Wye Oak,Maryland state tree,close up and personal

Do you remember where you were the stormy night of June sixth,2002?  There are many foresters and park volunteers who still do.  It was the night the 450 year old Wye oak fell in a thunderstorm.  At 31 feet circumference,96 feet height and 119 feet crown it was the national champion oak for some fifty years.  Some branches had been lost, cable supports positioned and the core treated with concrete.  It was known to be top heavy despite pruning but survived until that final storm.

The tree sheltered travelers on the road from Oxford to Philadelphia and school children from the adjoining one-room school house dating from the 1700s. The park around the tree had visitors from every state. It was inducted into The Tree Hall of Fame.

The two descendants on Wagner Road are from acorns.  They would probably have half the genetics of the original Wye oak.  Oak trees tend not to self fertilize (rejecting a form of selfie). How does the female oak flower know which suitor to accept without finishing school? Her wise choice maintains genetic diversity. There are now acorns from the progeny of the Wye maintaining a lineage.  Cloning the Wye oak has also been successful.  Buds from the original tree are grafted to other root stock,keeping 100 percent of the original genes.

The Wye got little recognition until 150-200 years of age when it was known as the Russum Oak, only later to be renamed for nearby Wye Mills.  Revisit our neighborhood tree in 2150.

Making Tracks: fox or dog?

The snow was beginning to melt so the actual foot pattern was not visible.  The line of tracks in the driveway looked purposeful (fox) vs the playful (dog).   This might be a "perfect stepper", placing back foot in the track of the front foot, more the fox.  The fox does use the driveway frequently, also a line of evidence.  The tracks led across the yard into the Lalley's garden.

The deer herd had passed through the side yard.  No organization.

possible, fox tracks,?perfect steps.

tracked to garden

herd of deer through the side yard,
easily leap the fences